Deleted "Star Wars" Scene Surfaces in Advance of Blu-ray Release

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Just days after news leaked of the forthcoming release of the "Star Wars" saga on Blu-Ray next year, a deleted scene from the final movie in the series surfaced online.

The never before seen clip was cut from the beginning of "Return of the Jedi." In the scene, Darth Vader appears in his chambers on a star destroyer as he attempts to contact Luke Skywalker through the Force. It then shifts to a darkened cave on Tatooine, the home planet of both Jedi masters. Inside the cave, a shrouded figure is seen tweaking a lightsaber, before watching it flash to life. As the camera shifts perspectives, the person is revealed to be Luke Skywalker, who is preparing to make his entrance to Jabba the Hutt's palace.

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Fans of the films, who were treated to the footage at the "Stars Wars" Celebration V event in Orange County, delighted in seeing it for the first time as Mark Hamill, who portrayed Skywalker, talked about the scene.

"I had the black cloak, the glove, and I thought, wow, this time around I get to be the antagonist," he said during a panel discussion. "Little did I know I was predicting the path of the prequels," referencing the way Anakin Skywalker - Luke's father - appeared in Episodes II and III.

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George Lucas said that only the special, updated versions of the movie would be released as restoring the originals would be cost prohibitive.